Thursday, May 18, 2023 from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern
Register

On April 19th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) began accepting applications from entities interested in delivering or receiving broadband technical assistance, and supporting the development and expansion of broadband cooperatives.

USDA is offering funding under the new Broadband Technical Assistance Program. $20 million is available to support technical assistance projects such as conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs and developing broadband financial assistance applications. Funding is also available to help organizations access federal resources, and to conduct data collection and reporting.

As part of the USDA’s continued efforts to bring broadband service to Tribes and Tribal Entities, the BTA program has identified Tribal Lands as targeted communities for BTA projects. This means that entities proposing to provide service on Tribal Lands may receive additional points as part of the BTA scoring criteria. Additionally, all non-Tribal entities proposing to provide service over or on Tribal Lands must obtain a certification from the appropriate Tribe(s).

RUS will be hosting a BTA webinar specifically for Tribes, Tribal Entities, and those planning to provide service on Tribal Lands on Thursday, May 18, 2023 from 1:00PM to 2:00PM Eastern. The webinar will include:

• An overview of the recently published FOA
• Key Considerations for Tribal Communities
• Importance of coordination with Tribes and Tribal Entities
• How to apply
• An opportunity for attendees to ask questions

USDA RUS staff will answer as many questions as time permits.

Slides, a transcript, and a recording of each webinar will be posted on the Broadband Technical Assistance website after each session.